Carriage-body.



No. 656,006. Patented Aug. l4, I900. S. R. BAILEY.

CARRIAGE ,BBDY.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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rrEn STATES ATENT Frrca.

CARRIAGE-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent N 0. 656,006, dated August 14, 1 900.

hpplication filed Fbrnary16,1900. $eiial1Io-5,4=53. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Amesbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

As carriage-bodies are usuallyconstructed there is a tendency for the panels to warp and the exposed joints to spring open, the warping usually occurring adjacent to, the seat-supports and the parting of the joints at the corners. These defects are due tocertain faulty methods of construction; which it is my object to correct, and for a better understanding I of my invention these prior methods will be briefly referred to.

In this description a carriage having ordinary box sides or panels of medium height is referred to, although'my invention may be applied to various other forms of carriagebodies. As this form of body is usually made all parts thereof are joined together by glue alone. The customary manner of supporting the seat-bottom has been to provide two vertical strips of wood at each side of the body, which extend from the bottom of the sill to the seat-bottom, and are glued at their outer sides to the side or panel. These strips are usually square in'cross-section, and their hot toms are glued into notches which are out in the side of the sill, said notches being of sufficient depth to bring the outer Surface of the strips flush with the side of the sill. The seat-bottom is secured to the upper ends of the strips- As the panel is secured-to the strips throughout the entire length of the latter, it is held firmly from warping or bend ing at all points which are supported by the strips. The adjacent portions of the panel are, however, unsupported. and being thin will easily warp or bend. The result is that when the panel-is wet or is subject to changes in atmosphere it will swell and bulge out at each side of each strip, rendering the outer surface uneven and plainly showing the lines or positions of the strips. The above-described form of seat-support is also defective in that it is often incapable of holding the seat firmly against lateral strain, which is largely thrown on the connection between the base end of the strips and of the sill. This force, moreover, acts through a leverage of approximately eighteen inches, and if the strips were forced laterally to any extent they would pry off the panels from the sides of the sills. The sills have been usually connected at the corners by a miter or a lap joint, the former being preferableand the panels have usually been mitered at their corners, their sides being glued to the sides of the sills. The wood of which the sills are made is usually very dry, so that when the sills become wet they will swell, the usual paint and varnish being insufficient to prevent water from soaking into the wood. The result is that the outer portion of the joint between the sills will spread, and as the corner formed by the sills fits up closely into the corner inclosed by the panels any spreading of the joint between the sills will force open the joint between the panels, the latter joint being forced open even wider than the joint between the sills. This is particularly objectionable as the panel-joints are in conspicuous positions. According to my invention I prevent the warping or springing of the panels under the seat; by reinforcing the whole side of the panel under and adjacent to the Seat by a Hat Supplemental panel of wood, which is glued to the entire inner surface of thepanel as far as it extends and has its grain arranged across the grain of the wood in the panel, and I prevent the springing open of the joints by cutting off the corner formed by the sills and locking the meeting ends thereof by a metal yoke, so that it will be impossible for the joint therebetween to spread.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section on the line X X of Fig. 3 or on a plane parallel thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view, and

Fig. 4is across-section on the line Z Z of Fig. 2. i

In Figs. 2 and 3 various portions are broken away, such portions being identical with the portions directly adjacent to the broken lines, and in all the views only such portions ofthe carriage-body are shown which include my invention, as it is not deemed necessary to show the various parts in duplicate at the different points at which they occur.

A side and an end sill are indicated by numerals 1 1, respectively, their ends meeting in the mitered joint 1. Instead of having the miter extend from the inner sides quite to the outer sides of the sills I cut off the corner formed by the meeting ends on the forty-five-degree line, which is at right angles to the miter-line of the joint. The line on which the corner is cut off corresponds to line Z Z of Fig. 2. A fiat metal yoke or clip having laterally-extendin g vertical flan ges or ribs 2 2 on the ends thereof is secured by screws 3 to the surface which is formed by cutting off the corner on the line Z Z. The yoke is as wide as the sills are deep, so that the sides thereof are flush with the top and bottom of the sills, as shown in Fig. 4. The flanges 2 2 are fitted in corresponding grooves in the surface at the corner formed on a plane through the line Z Z, and said flanges and grooves extend across said surface from top to bottom. Said surface is also cut away between said grooves to an extent equal to the thickness of the yoke, so that the outer surface of the yoke is flush with the surface formed on a plane through the line Z Z.

The end and side panels or sides 4 and 5, respectively, may meet in a miter at the corner or a V-shaped strip of wood 6 may be inserted between the meeting ends, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said strip reducing the liability of the joint between the panels opening, as a larger surface to which the glue is applied to join the panels is afforded. The screws 3 are preferably four in number, two being placed on each side of the joint 1 between the sills, and as the flanges of the yoke 2 each engage a groove in one of the sills it will be impossible for the outer end of the joint 1 to open, and as the outer end of this joint cannot open there will be no possibility of the joints at the ends of the panels being forced open by the swelling of the sills. As a triangular-shaped hole is formed in the extreme corner included by the panels, there is a sufficient length of panel between the points where the outer sides of the sills terminate and the point where the panels are joined to allow the panels to spring slightly in case for any reason there should be any spreading of the joint between the sills. The triangular-shaped holes also provide a ready exit for water which may collect in the body at the corners and cause the joints to swell. By this means of connecting the sills the joint is made stronger and firmer than is possible by prior methods. It will be understood that each of the joints at the four corners of the carriage-body will be constructed as above described.

The outer sides of the side sills are each provided with a longitudinal recess 1, which eX- tends for a short distance in front of the seatbottoln S, as shown in Fig. 3, and for substantially the same distance in the rear of the seatbottom. These recesses may be cut down nearly to the bottom of the sill, as shown in Fig. 1,-or entirely through to the bottom. A reinforcing-panel 7 is glued to the inside of the panel 5, across the grain of the latter, and extends down in the recess 1 to the shoulder 1 and longitudinally of the sill the entire length of the recess, as shown in Fig. 2. This reinforce 7 extends to the top of the main panel 5, the inner surface of the reinforce being beveled, so that it meets the inner surface of the panel at the sides, and the upper edges of both reinforce and panel are beveled, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they combine to form a V-shaped upper edge. A cap-piece 8,which is of nearly the same length as the width of the seat-bottom ,is provided with a correspondingly V-shaped groove and rests on the top of the panel and reinforce. The inner side of this cap-piece has a depending portion 8, which rests against the side of the reinforce. The cappiece is secured in position by glue, and a pin 9 may also extend through the depending portion of the cap, so as to secure the same more firmly to the panel and reinforce. The seat-bottom S is secured to the cap 8 by suitable screws, and an iron brace 11 extends from the upper side of the sill to the under side of the seat-bottom, its ends being secured at these points by lag-screws 12 12, respectively.

With this construction a suitable support for the seat is not only provided, but as the entire surface of the reinforce is secured to the inner side of the panel, across the grain of the latter, there is little or no possibility of the latter warping or bulging out at different points on account of the large surface which may be connected by glue and for the reason that the grain of the reinforce crosses the grain of the panel. If there is any warping at all, it will be so gradual that it will not be noticeable, and as the inner surface of the reinforce is beveled off so as to meet the inner surface of the panel there will be no abrupt line noticeable from the outside under any conditions which will mark the line Where the reinforce terminates. The cap-piece 8 prevents the access of moisture to the point between the panel and the reinforce and forms an effective means of connecting the seat-bottom to the sides. By this arrangement the lateral strain caused by the seat at certain times is distributed over a considerably-greater surface than in the construction referred to in the first part of this specification, so that the danger of the reinforce becoming disconnected from the sill is slight.

As the lateral depth of the recess which is cut in the sill is slight and less than half as deep as the recesses which were cut for the vertical strips in the old construction, the strength of the sill is not appreciably weakened, as was previously the case, particularly as the recess which is out out is of considerable length, so that the strain on this Weakened portion is distributed over about half of the length of the sill and is not concentrated at two points, as was formerly the case.

I do not desire to be limited to the particular length of the reinforce, although I prefer to make it somewhat longer than the width of the seat.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A carriage-body having a wooden side panel, a wooden reinforce which extends over and is secured to substantially the whole innor surface of the panel which is beneath the seat,the grain of the reinforce being arranged across the grain of the panel, a sill, to the side of which the panel is secured, a recess in the side of the sill which is of the same depth laterally as the thickness of the reinforce and extends from the upper side of the sill downwardly and longitudinally to points corresponding to the length of the reinforce and distance which it extends below the top of the sill, and means for securing the upper edge portions of the panel and reinforce to the seat-bottom.

2. A carriage-body having a seat, a sill, a side panel which is secured tothe side of said sill, a wooden reinforce which is glued to the inner side of the panel beneath the seat, the grain of the reinforce being arranged across the grain of the panel, a cap-piece which extends across the joint between the panel and reinforce at the upper edges thereof, said seat being secured to the upper side of said cappiece, and to the panel and reinforce.-

3. A carriage-body having a sill,a side panel which is secured to the side of said sill, a wooden reinforce which is glued to the inner side of the panel and extends from the upper side of the sill to the top of the panel, its grain being arranged across the grain of the panel, a recess in the side of the sillin which the bottom portion of the reinforce is secured, a cap-piece which extends across the joint between the panel and reinforce at the top and extends downwardly and engages the inner side of the reinforce, and a seat which is secured to the upper side of said cap-piece.

4. A carriage-body having a sill,a side panel which is secured to the side of said sill, a wooden reinforce which is glued to the inner side of the panel and extends from the upper side of the sill to the top of the panel, its grain being arranged across the grain of the panel, a recess in the side of the sill in which the bottom portion of the reinforce is secured, a cap-piece having a groove on its under side, in which the upper edges of the panel and reinforce are secured, and a seat which is secured to the upper side of said cap-piece.

5. A carriage-body having a sill,a side panel which is secured to the inner side of said sill, a wooden reinforce which is glued to the inner side of the panel which extends from the upper side of the sill to the top of the panel, its grain being arranged across the grain of the panel, a recess in the side of the sill in which the bottom portion of the reinforce is secured, a cap-piece which is of substantially the same length as the width of the seat-bottom and has a groove on its under side in which the upper edges of the panel and reinforce are secured and a depending portion on its inner side which engages and is secured to the inner side of the reinforce, and a seatbottom which is secured to the upper side of the cap-piece.

h. A carriage-body comprising two panels which meet in a joint at the corner thereof, two sills which are secured at their outer sides to the inner sides of said panels and meet in a corner, the extreme outer portion of the corner formed by the sills being cut away from top to bottom, forming faces, one of which is at the end of each sill, and which are at an angle to the sides thereof, a metal strap which is secured to each sill and extends across said faces and across the joint between said sills, at its outermost points.

7. A carriage-body having two panels which meet in a joint at the corner thereof, two sills which are secured at their outer sides to the inner sides of said panels and meet in a joint in the corner, the extreme outer portion of the corner formed by said sills being cut away diagonally from top to bottom, forming a single continuous face on the ends of the sills and a triangular-shaped hole between said panels and said face, a metal strap or yoke which is arranged on said face and extends across the joint between the sills at its outer end and is secured to each sill.

8. A carriage-body having two panels which meet in a joint at the corner thereof, two sills which are secured at their outer sides to the inner sides of said panels and meet in a joint in the corner, the extreme outer portion of the corner formed by the sills being cut away diagonally from top to bottom, forming a diagonally-arranged face on the end of each sill, grooves which are cut in each face, a metal yoke having laterally-projecting flanges or ribs which are adapted to engage said grooves, said yoke spanning the outermost portion of the joint, means of securing said yoke to each of said sills, whereby the ends of said sills will be locked together so that the outer portion of said joint cannot open.

9. Acarriage-bodyhavingtwopanelswhich .meet in a joint at the corner thereof, two sills which are secured at their outer sides to the inner sides of said panels and meet in a miterjoint in said corner, the extreme outer portion of the corner formed by said sills being cut away from top to bottom forming a face which is in a plane substantiallyat right angles to the miter, a groove formed in each sill at opposite sides of the miter, a metal yoke which is secured to said sills on each side of the miter and is provided with ribs which engage said grooves.

10. Acarriagebodyhavingtwo panelswhich IIO meet in a joint at the corner thereof, two sills yoke which is secured to said sills on each side 10 which are secured at their outer sides to the of the miter and is provided with ribs which inner sides of said panels and meet in a miterengage said grooves. joint in the corner, the cornerformed by said In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- 5 sills beingcut away from top to bottom formnature in presence of two witnesses.

ing a face which is in a plane substantially SAMUEL R. BAILEY. at right angles to the plane of the miter, a groove formed in each sill at opposite sides of the miter and parallel thereto, a metal 1 Witnesses:

LOUIS I-I. HARRIMAN, M. G. J AQUITH. 

